Lower Energy Bills Pt III, Using the Sun!

We have looked at adding Window Film to your larger west & southerly facing windows. Then we got handy and put in a few Trellises to let those wonderful plants bring shade and fresh air to your world! Now we are exploring ways to use the Sun to save money!
--A new subdivision has been built outside of Phoenix by Habitat for Humanity that celebrates the sun! This new project uses panels on the homes to soak up the sun and turn that energy into electricity. The final 18 homes in this new subdivision that are built for the green and solar use are getting rave reviews.
--This is a trend that Salt River Project sustainability engineer Joel Dickinson would like to see take over the state and hopefully the country. Quoted recently in an article by the East Valley Tribune, Phoenix, Dickinson says the average cost for the panels on the homes is about $20,000. However, offsetting this initial cost are local as well as federal credits that can be as much as $8,000 locally & $3,600 on the Federal level. Also, savings in energy costs each month helps with the initial cost.
--One local resident who has been in her solar powered home since 2007, is excited about the cost savings she experiences each month. Colleen Hill stated that she recently had a $16 electric bill and has even gotten a monthly credit at times instead of a bill! Another neighbor had had similar results with his bill being as low as $20 even with 4 children in the home. This is in direct contrast to the $250 and $300 per month they had experienced before going solar.
--So even though we all don’t live in sunny Arizona, we can look for ways to use solar in our own areas. We we may not get our bills down to $16 a month, any savings would be good for our pocketbooks as well as the environment. The use of solar actively or passively can do a lot to alleviate environmental stresses. Check in your local areas about the alternative energies that are available in your neighborhoods.
Green, clean, environmentally friendly sources of power are good for all of us. Go Green! More to come in the next post!